Chapter 9

Harper

I could feel myself falling into the doldrums and that didn’t feel natural. I’d always had some anxiety issues but once the stressor had passed, I bounced back. I knew what was behind my feelings. It was the sense of having nothing to look forward to.

Building my website had been a dream for some time. I’d planned and made notes and even written snippets of code to be implemented—when I got time. It was those four words that imprisoned me while I was in Cleveland. It had almost been a relief to lose my job. No more excuses to not go into business for myself. I thought subconsciously I may have even chosen the nanny job just because I knew I’d be so miserable that I’d finally be motivated to finally build the site.

Well, I’d been right about one thing. I was miserable. Especially when I looked at Brayden. I asked myself why I hadn’t given in to him while in high school. I loved him then, wanted him as much as he wanted me. My mother’s puritanical supervision and guilt-floggings had left indelible impressions on my visions of self-worth. There was no way to know whether I might have had a future with Brayden, but that could be something I would never know. What I did know was that I dreamed of him now. I knew I had nothing to offer him. I was a boring computer programmer with a so-so body and a Salvation Army wardrobe. I lacked the polish and social connections that would complement him and the world in which he moved.

My internal musings were doing nothing to help my mood, so I bundled the kids into bathing suits and flip flops the next morning and headed for the beach. They had a ton of energy after their outing to the school, and I couldn’t think of a better place to let them run it off than in the deep sands and water of the Atlantic.

We got an early start because I had lunch scheduled with Steph that day. I was looking forward to seeing her. It had been a long time.

Dougie was full of piss, just as I’d expected. He’d refused to eat his breakfast earlier that morning so that he could legitimately whine about being hungry as soon as his feet hit the sand. I’d outwitted him, though. I’d packed a box of energy bars and bottles of water. These were emergency sustenance and unfortunately for him, the only thing available on the beach. He made faces and began howling. His face screwed up and noises seemed to emit from every orifice of his body. He suddenly went silent, and I followed his surprised look to see that Ripley had followed us. Damn!

“Go play in the water!” he shouted and the kids trudged obligingly in the direction of the surf. It only made my job harder as I had to contend with watching them in the water, while keeping Ripley’s hands at a safe distance. I decided to follow them in. Leaving my laptop sandwiched in its case and between layers of towels, I prayed no one was watching and waded into the waves toward Dougie, the more volatile of the two kids. Ripley was right behind me.

Katie was gingerly bouncing in the shallower water toward us. Ripley held up a silver dollar and shouted, “First one to find it gets ice cream and a trip to the candy store!” He held it high over his head and then whipped it like a Frisbee into the surf. I knew he was creating a diversion for something children should not be involved with and chose to follow them for safety. My own.

Ripley was behind me, chugging through the water to keep up. I was working my knees like crazy to stay ahead but knew I’d lost the race when a hand came up between my legs and fastened onto my pussy.

“Hey!” I objected loudly. The kids never looked around. The surf was loud, and they were both picturing the aisles of the candy store.

“You like that?” came his voice over my shoulder and into my ear.

“Take your hands off me, Ripley.”

His hand let go but his finger lifted the leg band of my bikini bottom and he penetrated me with it. His nail was rough and scratched, especially since I tensed like a prisoner watching the guillotine descend. “Ripley! Get away from me!” I screamed at him and turned to slap his face. I knew as soon as I’d done it that I’d gone over the line. The kids didn’t have a clue what he was doing to me, but I’d just struck their father and even wolves have a loyalty to their pack.

“You think you’ve got Brayden eating from the palm of your hand, you cunning bitch,” he snarled at me.

I didn’t say a word but was in a fighting stance. If he was going to take me down, he was going down with me. I didn’t care if I had to drown the asshole.

“You don’t believe me, right? For your information, I just watched him go into the private room of a very, very tasty morsel in a fashionable suit. He didn’t see me watching but I saw him when I came down to meet you and the kids. He’s got more than one pussy twirling on his dick-go-round. So, if you think you’ll get help from him, you’ve got another one coming. He won’t give up a paying customer like me for the likes of you. He didn’t do it years ago, and he won’t do it again.”

How does he know?

“You lay one more hand on me and I’ll file charges of sexual assault against you, Ripley. Don’t think I won’t. I may not be a big deal around here like you, but I’m a hometown gal and I know people. You’ll be lucky to leave here alive.”

The kids were quiet, and I glanced at them quickly and saw their mouths agape at what I was saying to their father. They were both smart enough to realize that I was on the offense and they’d not heard that from me prior to then. In fact, I was managing to intimidate myself a little at the same time.

I turned my back to him while he was still in stunned mode and motioned the kids to the shore. They marched without a single word of argument. I gathered our beach things and pointed toward Utopia. They just kept on going. I never looked back. I was too afraid of what I might see.

My stomach was churning. Was Ripley lying about seeing Brayden with another woman in her room? He’d just talked to me, just spent time with me. Why would he do that? Was he pathological and couldn’t help himself? I had no way of knowing but I did know that he was capable of doing what Ripley had suggested. I’d seen him do it before. There I was, just like back in high school. I wanted to sleep with him but had this little girl view of the world that said it would be naughty and I’d get caught. I was no longer sixteen, though, and there was no one to catch me. I was only accountable to myself. Not even Stephanie had to know.

That reminded me of the time and I began walking faster, urging the kids ahead of me. I didn’t hear a word from them and there was no sound of Ripley behind me. I hope he drowns. He deserved it. I could still feel the sting his fingernail had left on the soft inner flesh of my pussy. I wanted to vomit all over the sand. Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed room service. I ordered two lunch trays brought up for the kids and hung up. “When we get back, you two are having lunch in your rooms and then taking a nap. If you’re good and do as you’re told, I’ll have a surprise for you later this evening.”

I didn’t specify the nature of the surprise and they didn’t ask. I think they were both a little in shock of my behavior. I wondered if I’d put my hands around Ripley’s neck and held him under the water, whether either of the kids would have come to try to stop me. I doubted it. Their entire family was eaten with selfish greed and manipulation of one another to get what they wanted. Ripley’s death would have only left Bernadette to contend with. It would have been the two of them against one. I didn’t doubt they hadn’t thought that through at some point. I knew I had.

We got back into the Utopia and I kept one hand on the herd I was moving upstairs. They never said a word and once we reached their floor, they went silently and immediately into their suite and I went into my room. I felt frozen, in shock, unsure where I stood or what my options were. Had Brayden betrayed me once again?

I’d been sexually assaulted by my boss. It was obvious that was the beginning of the end.

With all the beauty around me—the elegant room, its furnishing, the beautiful view from the balcony and the happiness that spewed from the visitors—I still felt dead inside.

I heard room service knock at the Bonhams’ door and peeked out long enough to make sure someone answered. I knew Bernadette was home and heard her twangy voice at their door, so I closed mine and set about getting ready for lunch.